1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a securing device for medical tubes projecting from a person's body, and more particulary to a pouch-like securing device for medical tubes.
2. General Background of the Invention
Due to various disorders, certain bodily functions must be aided by means of medical tubes inserted into the body. (As used herein, the term "medical tubes" refers to tubes which are used to bypass portions of the human body to aid certain bodily functions; examples of such tubes are catheters and gastrostomy tubes.) For example, in the case of chronic reflux of food from the esophagus into the trachea, some persons must be fed through a gastrostomy tube inserted through a surgically-created hole in the abdominal wall (a gastric fistula) into the stomach. The purpose of the tube is to provide a means of feeding a person who could not otherwise be fed. Persons who might have extreme difficulty with feeding include neurologically impaired persons, those who have a congenital deformity of the esophagus, and those who have had some accidental injury to the esophagus, resulting in interruption of the lumen. Additionally, the gastrostomy tube might be useful for persons who have had major surgery to the esophagus or for very debilitated individuals. The gastrostomy tube usually comprises a flexible tube having a pair of exit ports and a balloon at a first end thereof, and primary and secondary entry ports at the other end. The primary entry port is connected by a relatively large diameter passage to the exit ports, and serves to allow food to enter the stomach. The secondary entry port is connected by a relatively small diameter passage to the balloon, and serves to allow water to fill the balloon, which helps to retain the gastrostomy tube in place. An example of the gastrostomy tube described above is Bardex.RTM. Silicone Elastomer Coated Foley Catheter manufactured by Bard Urological Division of C. R. Bard, Inc., Murray Hill, N.J.
In operation, the first end of the gastrostomy tube is inserted through a gastric fistula into the person's stomach. The balloon is filled by injecting sterile water through the secondary entry port. The gastostomy tube is then ready to be used to feed the person via the primary entry port; the tube may be used for a number of feedings. A portion of the tube, including the end having the entry ports, extends from the hole in the abdominal wall. This portion of the gastrostomy tube is typically troublesome for the person in whom the tube is placed, for it has a tendency to slip into the stomach or to be pulled out of the stomach. There are some methods for reducing the tendency of the tube to slide into the stomach, such as inserting the tube through a baby bottle nipple, before inserting the tube into the stomach, such that the base of the nipple is against the outside of the stomach and the nipple projects outwardly. Unfortunately, the base of the nipple often irritates the tissue on the outside of the stomach, so many people choose not to use it. While this option and others can help to prevent the tube from sliding into the stomach, there has heretofore been no satisfactory means for preventing the gastrostomy tube from being accidentally pulled out of the stomach. Regardless of how careful a person (whether he be a child or an adult) may be during the day, he may unintentionally pull out the gastrostomy tube while sleeping. Also, some persons who use gastrostomy tubes are mentally retarded, and frequently pull out their tubes simply because they do not understand why the tube is there. Still other persons using gastrostomy tubes are susceptible to involuntary muscular contractions, and may involuntarily pull out their tube during a spasm.
These tubes are not to be resterilized; once removed from the stomach, they may be be re-used. Since these tubes are relatively expensive, accidental premature removal is not only a source of discomfort for the user, it is also uneconomical. There are cases in which the tube must be replaced four times more frequently, due to premature accidental removal, than if it were to be replaced only when no longer operable, resulting in a four-fold increase in annual expenditures for gastrostomy tubes.
It can thus be seen that there exists a need for an effective means for reducing the chance of accidental premature removal of medical tubes such as gastrostomy tubes.